Match-safe



(No Model.) G. BERTS.

WIT/M8858.

twice.

Parent GEORGE P. ROBERTS, OF NORVVALK, OHIO.

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,322, dated June 2, 1885.

Application filed April 28, 1884. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. ROBERTS, of the city of Norwalk, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Boxes and Match-Safes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This improvement relates to that class of inventions termed match boxes or safes, its objects being to so construct such articles as to permit the removal of but one match at a time, thereby preventing them from being scattered about; economy in preventing pilfering, that is of frequent occurrence in places of public resort where open boxes are in use, and,finally,cheapness in the cost of its manufacture.

With the above ends in View my invention consists in the box or safe as constru cted,and in such other details as will hereinafter be distinctly pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of pattern of the box or safe when out out, the dotted lines showing the points at which it is folded when put together. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the front and back of the box, respectively, when the several parts are united to form the completed article; and Fig. 4 is a view in detail of the tag by which certain portions are united or held together, and by which the box or safe may be secured to a wall or other suitable support.

Reference being had to the several parts by letter, A represents the pattern of the box or safe, which is cut from paper, pasteboard, tin, or other suitable material, its outline being angular, by which is formed, when the parts are properly folded, the top, bottom, sides, and ends of the box or safe.

In Fig. 1 the portions marked a and a constitute the sides and top of thebox when properly folded; b and b, the inclined ends thereof, the remaining or central portion serving as the back. At the angle formed by one of the side pieces and the end portion b a small curved or rounded incision is made, (see c, Fig. 1.) The purpose of this is to form an opening in one corner of the box, (0, Fig. 2,) for a purpose hereinafter described. Grossing the line or point at which this end piece I) is folded a circular or elliptical opening, d, is made, which also is for a purpose hereinafter explained.

B represents the tag,which' may be gummed on one side for the purpose of sticking it to a wall or other support by wetting. It is, however, provided with a hole, by which the box may be hung on a tack in the wall. This tag is slit at the points marked 1 and 2, by which portions are formed at each side to be folded at the dotted line back on the inclined end pieces of the box, as is also formed the suspending portion 6. The portion 0 of said tag serves to hold the parts together at the top when suitably pasted or gummed, while the portions formed by the slits 1 2 unite the edges of the top and ends together when properly folded.

In forming the box from the pattern shown a fold is first made at the dotted lines marked 3 3, and then the side portions,a a,are folded toward each other at 4 4.. The ends of the side pieces are inclined, as will be seen, so that when the end portions, 1) b, are folded at 5 to be brought against them they will form slanting or inclined end pieces, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The object of having the end pieces inclined is to cause the matches to gravitate toward the opening d when the box is suspended. When the parts are thus folded,the portion e of the tag is pasted over the meeting edges of the parts forming the top, and the portions in the tag formed by the slits 1 2 are then folded back on the end pieces, b b, and secured by pasting or otherwise. It will thus be seen that the tags form the means of securing the portions of the box together as well as its means of support.

It should be understood that the matches are first placed crosswise in the box and the parts then folded and secured. y

By suspending the box from a wall or other support, with the end that has the opening (1 down, the matches, as they are taken out one by one,successively, gravitate toward the said opening.

The operation of withdrawing a match is by ICO putting the fingers in they opening 01 and sliding a match to the right or left, as the case may be, through the opening 0 in the corner of the box. This opening 0' is only made large 5 enough to permit the withdrawal of one match at a time. It is usually preferable to paste thin strips over the united corners to serve to strengthen the parts, which, however, is not herein shown. I

I am aware that a double-inclined bottom end has been previously employed in the construction of match boxes or safes; but formerly the sides constituting such incline have been separated at the angle formed thereby, to enable a match to be withdrawn from between them, after which their elasticity caused them to again close together. My construction differs in that no longitudinal division exists at the angle formed by the inclined bottom, but only an opening, which permits the grasping of a match by the fingers, whereby it may be {)orced through an opening at the corner of the Having thus described my invention, what 25 I claim is 1. A match box or safe made from a single piece cut to form the sides and top a a and ends I) b, the part b provided with an opening across its folding line, and having to one side or corner an incision, c, the whole being folded and secured, substantially as and in the manner described.

2. The combination, with a match box or safe made from a single piece and cut to form the top and sides a a and ends b b, of the tags having slits 1 2, whereby is formed the suspending portion e and the portion e, substantially as described.

3. A match box or safe having inclined ends turned up from the back thereof, one opening 4o being provided at the angle where the end is turned, and another opening being provided in the side of the box at the corner, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my 5 own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE I P. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS C. HILL, A. B. GRIFFIN. 

